Ecology Vocab

Question 1

a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment

Answer 1

Ecosystem

Question 2

living things that affect and ecosystem

Answer 2

biotic factors

Question 3

non-living things that affect an ecosystem

Answer 3

abiotic factors

Question 4

an individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form

Answer 4

Organism

Question 5

A group of organisms having many characteristics in common

Answer 5

Species

Question 6

is all of the individuals of the same species within an ecological community

Answer 6

Population

Question 7

a group of actually or potentially interacting species living in the same place

Answer 7

Community

Question 8

an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant, or other type of organism

Answer 8

Habitat

Question 9

only the organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and transmit their genetic characters

Answer 9

Natural selection

Question 10

specific species changing over time

Answer 10

Evolution

Question 11

plants, making their own food

Answer 11

Producers / autotrophs

Question 12

organisms have to go get their own food, can’t make it

Answer 12

Consumers / heterotrophs

Question 13

herbivores

Answer 13

Primary consumer

Question 14

are carnivores and omnivores

Answer 14

secondary consumer

Question 15

capable of feeding on secondary consumers and primary consumers

Answer 15

tertiary consumer

Question 16

eat plants

Answer 16

herbivores

Question 17

eat other animals

Answer 17

carnivores

Question 18

eat plants and animals

Answer 18

omnivores

Question 19

break down dead organisms

Answer 19

. Decomposers

Question 20

transfers of matter and energy in the form of food from organism to organism

Answer 20

food chain

Question 21

a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains

Answer 21

food web

Question 22

shows transfer of energy from organism to organism

Answer 22

Energy pyramid

Question 23

combined processes, including photosynthesis, decomposition, and respiration, by which carbon as a component of various compounds cycles between its major reservoirs

Answer 23

Carbon Cycle

Question 24

processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms

Answer 24

nitrogen cycle

Question 25

is the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time

Answer 25

ecological succession

Question 26

occurring in an environment in which new substrate devoid of vegetation and other organisms usually lacking soil, such as a lava flow or area left from retreated glacier, is deposited.

Answer 26

primary succession

Question 27

is a process started by an event (e.g. forest fire, harvesting, hurricane) that reduces an already established ecosystem

Answer 27

secondary succession

Question 28

hardy species which are the first to colonize previously disrupted or damaged ecosystems

Answer 28

pioneer species

Question 29

ecological community in which populations of plants or animals remain stable and exist in balance with each other and their environment

Answer 29

climax community